This Week In Island History

The news of 10 and 15 years ago is from the Jamestown Press. The news of 100 years ago came from the collection of the Newport Historical Society.

100 years ago

From the Newport Journal, Jan. 30, 1914

At the town council meeting, the following bills were ordered to be paid: Bay State Railway Company, lights, $675.80; Jamestown Light & Water Company, water, $1,242.50. There was a long discussion on the bill of E. R. Barry for $4.50 for police services rendered last September, which the chief of police refused to approve. It was finally voted that payment be refused.

75 years ago

From the Newport Daily News, Jan. 27, 1939

Having leased land between the main road and Plum Beach as a right-of-way, Merritt, Chapman & Scott, contractors, have made known today that they would shortly start work on the construction of the Jamestown bridge. One of the first steps is the erection of a new wharf extending 150 feet into the bay, with an L-shaped head, 100 feet long by 40 feet wide, for the use of their boats.

From the Newport Daily News, Jan. 29, 1939

There was a large attendance at the president’s ball Friday evening, which was held at the Bay View hotel.

At the Thomas H. Clarke School assembly Friday after- noon, a picture for the benefit of the Home Economic class of girls was shown, which consisted of fruit recipes.

50 years ago

From the Newport Daily News, Jan. 28, 1964

Harold M. Ballin, special assistant to the New York regional administration of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, outlined seven elements of a workable program for community improvement at last night’s meeting of the Jamestown Town Council. The first recommendation was for codes and ordinances. Ballin noted that the proposed Newport Bay Bridge may bring a great influx of people into the community. He urged study of sub-standard housing each year.

From the Newport Daily News, Jan. 29, 1964

The Jamestown Town Council will protest quarrying at Fort Wetherill in Jamestown at hearings scheduled by the Army Engineers Corps. The statement was prompted by a recent newspaper story regarding stone for the proposed hurricane barrier from Fort Wetherill. A letter was received stating that the Jamestown Civil Defense program had been approved by the Department of Defense. Three shelters will be set up within the next five years. One will be at Fort Wetherill, if permission is granted by the government, and the other two in municipal buildings.

25 years ago

From the Newport Daily News, Jan. 27, 1989

The School Committee Thursday night adopted a $3.13 million budget, a 7.06 percent increase over last year.

From the Newport Daily News, Jan. 31, 1989

The School Committee chairman announced during the work session with two town council members that the Jamestown teachers’ union ratified a threeyear contract Monday afternoon. The pact calls for an immediate 5 percentraise,anda2percentraise in six months.

15 years ago

From the Jamestown Press, Jan. 28, 1999

At a special meeting next Monday, the Town Council is expected to approve a $11.7 million combined town government and school budget that will raise the current tax rate by 44 cents, from $15.13 to $15.57 per $1,000 of assessed property value, if voters approve the spending plan as it will be presented to them March 1.

Despite the announcement that the town will enter into a state site remediation program to properly close the North Road landfill, residents remain wary about the future of the site. The Town Council decided to hold a workshop at a future unspecified date to discuss these issues further.

10 years ago

From the Jamestown Press, Jan. 29, 2004

The Town Council Monday unanimously adopted a 16-month budget package of $22,230,419 that would provide $8,144,216 million for town government and $14,086,203 for school spending.

Among actions by the Town Council Monday was the rescinding of the water penalty fee levied on 21 town water department customers because they used more than 150,000 gallons each in the past year.